Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1887-10-15
THE ERA OF SLANG.
EXPRESSIONS WHICH SEND THE
cREEPs UP A PuRlST'S BACK.

Words for which No Possible Excuse
Can BE OHered-Even the Fair Sex
| Have Caught the InfectiOn-IselittlinG,
Not BeautIfying.
The era of slang is upon us with a
breadth that is almost appalling. Not
wholly the slang that might be defined rs
the burlesque or colloquial form of ex-
preston, the language of low humor, or
the jargon of thieves and vagrants, but a
species that is almost as reprehensiblc.
1t will not do to apologize for it by say
ing that ''slang is probably as old as
human speech, and that the early writers
INDUCED in it, especially the Greek and
Roman dramatists; and while we may
speak and write against the pernicious
habit, we suspect that we will not grow
disgusted enough with it to thoroughly
uproot ii until it has reached its clina
The worst fact about it is that il is not
confined to the low and the illiterate, but
has invaded the public schools, cultured
society and the literature of our books.
admit that some of the slang expressions
are forcible and full of adequateness,
among which / might name ''tired out"
Colossal Cheek etc. Still, even they
ought to be tabooed.
But what excuse can possibly be offered
for such words as ''galloot, " 'sardine,"
''chump,n kicker" "kid," etc? Or such
expressions as "Let her 60, Gallagher"
'Waltzed off on his ear" ~ should
snicker," ''Now you're shoutin'," etc
They are scarcely emphatic and certainly
not polite. Even the fair sex have caught
the infection and speak about his royal
nibs," or the ''howling SWELL the girl of
Today is ready to ''bet her bottom dollar"
wants to know "what you're givin' her,
let's you know that you are "off your
base, " and insists that you shall "come
off, " "vamose, - "skedaddle, F." 'absquatu=
ate," and all that You do her a slight
favor and she exclaims, ooh, thanks, aw-
fullyr Why she should thank you with
reverend fear'' is beyond your compre-
hension. Ask her to sing yoar favorite
sentimental ballad and she will probably
say, "Oh, really, Mr.. -, cawn't. It's
too utterly, too-toor'
WASTED SYMPATHY.
While playing lawn tennis with her she
suddenly cries out, "Oh, you've given me
such n twist" You feel exceedingly
alarmed; you are afraid that her collar
bone is broken or that at least her wris
has been dislocated. You discover, how
ever, that it is but tennis slang and that
your sympathy has been wasted. She
confidently tells you that Jennie Some
body is mo good" and had the "cheek'
to propose to "stratch" her at tho meet
ing of the club, because shc hadn't
''forked over" the 'spondoolicksn for
the last quarter All that is TO be depre-
Gated, but the girls, heaven bless them,
look SO pretty, and use the terms so art
Il arff m 1An Cn-
we're in my reproof.
1t isn't pleasant to be accosted hy ones
5-year-old hopeful as IAN old snoozer" or
to know that he is lying in wait to
''knock the stuffin' - out of neighbor's
boy, or to "wipe up the floor" with him.
Or to hear our short skirted but high
spirited daughter tell the aforesaid brother
that she wishes the other boy would
''paste him on the snoot, or tknock him
clean out the box" or ''into the middle of
next week" / don't know that am es-
pecially sensitive, and yet must say that
such expressions send the creeps up my
back.
The editor "swings a nasty quill;' the
hired girl is spot rastler;' when a thing
suits us it's ''just the cheese" when too
noisy we are told to dry up, or to ''sus-
pend;" when cunningly on the alert we
say, mot if the court knows itself'' if
one day is not available ''s'mother one
Is; when we die we ''pass in our checks,''
are ''put away on ice,' and are finally
planted" So might go on ad infinitum.
You can think, / am sure, of at least
hundred words and phrases to which ]
have made no reference. For inventing
cute words and phrases our country leads
the procession. They are clever and ap-
propriate, get into the topical song, the
public ''catch on" and they live and
thrive, and in many instances the diction-
ary finally legitimizes them.
Slang, / insist, is the fungus on the
stem. 1t is not the grated fruit. 1t is
the scum of language. 1t often belittles;
it never beauties. If we all spoke and
wrote in a less exaggerated manner we
would be less exaggerated in our ways of
life and thought. Life, as well as speech,
would perhaps grow more simple, more
true, more worth living. in
Philadelphia Call.